Zambezi River Zambezi River T he Zambezi is Africa’s fourth largest River system, after the Nile, Zaire and Niger Rivers. It runs through six countries on it’s journey from central Africa to the Indian Ocean. Its unique value is that it is less developed than others in terms of human settlement and many areas along it’s banks enjoy protected status. It’s power has carved the spectacular Victoria Falls and the zigzagging Batoka Gorge. The Zambezi has been harnessed at various points along the way including the massive Kariba Dam between Zambia and Zimbabwe and Cabora Bassa Dam in Mozambique. Plans for another dam at the Batoka gorge have fortunately been shelved. The River’s beauty has attracted tourists from all over the world providing opportunities for a myriad of water sports and game viewing. Running for a length of 2700kms, it begins it’s journey as an insignificant little spring in the corner of north-west Zambia in the Mwinilunga District. It bubbles up between the roots of a tree, very close to the border where Zambia, Angola and Zaire meet.

It enters Angola for about 230kms, where it accumulates the bulk of its headwater drainage, and re-enters Zambia again at Cholwezi rapids flowing due south but substantially enlarged by the entry of various tributaries. This upper part of the river is thinly populated by pastoralists, farmers and fishermen and although wildlife is sparse it is remarkably free of pollution. This is also the scene of the remarkable Ku-omboka Ceremony where thousands of inhabitants move annually to higher ground as the Zambezi floods into the low lying plains. It passes through the flat sandy country of the Western Province, then traverses the broad, annually flooding Barotse Plains, where much of the water is lost to evaporation, then over more rocky country where it’s tranquil course is interrupted by the Ngonye falls and rapids. As it turns to an easterly direction it forms the border between Zambia and Namibia and eventually joins up with the Chobe River in the Caprivi Swamps, briefly forming a border with Botswana.

For the next 500kms it serves as the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe thundering over the Victoria Falls and through the narrow, steadily deepening Batoka Gorge, providing a fantastic playground for white water rafting, kayaking, river boarding and jet boating. From here the steep sides of the gorge eventually flatten out at the broad Gwembe Valley. Then it flows into the Kariba dam for 281kms – it’s width at one point being 40kms. From the dam wall the river travels due north, heading east again at Chirundu. Here it is flanked by the Lower Zambezi National Park on the Zambian side and Mana Pools National Park on the Zimbabwean side. This middle zone supports one of Africa’s most important wilderness areas. After the Luangwa confluence, it’s a much larger Zambezi that flows into Mozambique and out towards the Indian Ocean, having provided power, food, pleasure and transport for many and a home for untold numbers of wildlife along it’s journey.

Fishing Trips on the Zambezi River Kariba Dam, Zambia / Zimbabwe | International Rivers Kariba Dam, Zambia / Zimbabwe “We shall die in our land we don’t want to be moved.” - A note left by Tonga resistors in the days leading to the Chisamu War (1958) For the Gwembe Tonga and Kore Kore peoples, the Kariba Dam was a death blow to their communities and culture. They had lived for centuries in the Gwembe Valley along the northern and southern banks of the Zambezi River. But in 1958, this wide valley turned from river to reservoir. Whole villages were flooded, displacing 57,000 indigenous people. Affected communities were given little information about the dam and no choice but to move. Some displaced communities resisted resettlement, but were defeated by colonial authorities in a short battle know as the Chisamu War. Villages were burned so the people could not return. Today, those who remember the displacement have grown old. Along with new generations of their children, they struggle to survive. These communities were promised irrigation and electricity at their new sites, but most still live without these basic services.

Schools and health facilities are scarce. Malnutrition and hunger are commonplace. The safety net of the community has unraveled. This colonial-era dam was developed by the British Empire to electrify the burgeoning industries of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and the copper mines of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). Little funding was allocated by project developers for the resettlement process. Kariba was the first of many World Bank-funded dams in Africa. The Tonga and Kore Kore affected communities are searching for solutions and redress. Led by traditional leaders and local NGOs, the communities continue to fight for adequate rehabilitation and for the project’s developers to take responsibility for this unjust legacy. Attached files: History of the Building of Lake Kariba Shiwa Ngandu History of the Building of Lake Kariba You are here: Homepage > What to see > Vast Lakes > Lake Kariba > History of the Building of Lake Kariba The dam was an initiative of the Federation existing at the time between British ruled Northern and Southern Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe) and Nyasaland (Malawi). To dam the great Zambezi floodplain was in many ways a hopeful leap into the future. Vast areas of forest and scrub would be inundated.

Literally thousands of wild animals would lose their habitats and, more importantly, the local villages would have to be relocated. Analysis of the economic advantages convinced the authorities that the ultimate benefit to the people would outweigh the loss of wildlife and disturbance to people’s lives. The vegetation was strip cleared and burnt, making the lake rich in chemicals from the fired wood and the considerable number of remaining trees provided an essential habitat for many creatures that found their way into the lake. Building the dam wall began in the late 1950s. Well over a million cubic metres of concrete was poured into the 36.6 metre high wall with a thickness of over twenty four metres to sustain the pressure of nearly ten million litres of water passing through the spillway each second. At the end of 1958, the sluice gates were closed and in 1963 the maximum level was reached. The Zambezi River rises in north western Zambia and its catchment area covers 1 352 000 square kilometers and eight countries, namely Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It enters the Indian Ocean in Mozambique at Quelimane.

It flows for some 2 650 kilometers from its source to the Indian Ocean. It is the fourth largest river in Africa flowing into the Indian Ocean. Kariba Dam is located approximately halfway down the Zambezi River. The Electricity Supply Commission instigated an investigation for possible hydroelectric schemes to be situated at kariba and in 1941 funds were allocated. As a result of this survey, a river gauging station was set up at chirundu as well as at a campsite 25 kilometers downstream from the present dam wall. Both Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) were in contention as it was thought that the Kafue River Gorge site in Northern Rhodesia was preferable to kariba. The matter was solved in 1951 by a board of experts known as “the Panel” who all agreed that the dam be built on the Zambezi River, at the Kariba Gorge site.

In August 1955 , the then Federal Government of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi) called for tenders for the construction of the wall and power station was awarded to the Italian consortium Impresit on 16 July 1956 Kariba Dam was designed by the French engineer and inventor Andre Coyne. A specialist in “arch dams”, he personally designed over 55 dams, Kariba being one of them. Nyaminyami The name Kariba (Kariva – meaning trap) refers to a rock which thrust out of the swirling water at the entrance to the gorge close to the dam wall site, now buried more than a hundred feet below the water surface. In many legends, this rock was regarded as the home of the great River god Nyaminyami, who caused anyone who ventured near to be sucked down for ever into the depths of the river. When the valley people heard they were to be moved from their tribal lands and the great Zambezi River blocked, they believed it would anger the river god so much that he would cause the water to boil and destroy the white man’s bridge with floods.

In 1957, a year into the building of the dam, the river rose to flood level, pumping through the gorge with immense power, destroying some equipment and the access roads. The odds against another flood occurring the following year were about a thousand to one – but flood it did – three metres higher than the previous year. This time destroying the access bridge, the coffer dam and parts of the main wall. Nyaminyami had made good his threat. He had recaptured the gorge. His waters passed over the wreckage of his enemies at more than sixteen million litres a second, a flood which, it had been calculated, would only happen once in ten thousand years. Although man eventually won the battle when the dam was finally opened in 1960, there was a whole new respect for the power of the river god. Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, fishing, houseboat holidays Home / Countries / Zimbabwe / Lake Kariba Lake Kariba Lake Kariba is really the “middle section” of the three well known parts of the Zambezi river (between the upper Zambezi above Lake Kariba including Victoria Falls and the lower Zambezi from below the Kariba dam wall downwards).

The Lake runs for 220 kilometres along the northern border with Zambia. The Zambezi River itself has been known outside of Africa for thousands of years. Legends suggest that the kingdoms of Hiram, Solomon and Sheba were enriched by the gold and ivory of Ophir – supposedly part of present day country – and the mighty Zambezi was one of the gateways to the ancient treasure trove. Evidence of early man’s occupation has been found along most of the river but much of its history has been shrouded in mystery. The confluences of the Zambezi, Sanyati, Ume and Sengwa rivers met in the Gwembe Valley – an uncomfortable, hot and disease ridden region – sparsely populated by the Tonga tribesmen and until about 40 years ago known only to a few explorers, geologists, District Commissioners, hunters and surveyors. In 1955 a point on the Zambezi River known as “kariwa” (a trap) became a hive of activity with the construction of the Kariba dam wall.

The wall was sealed at the end of 1958 despite the biggest flood in 1000 years delaying efforts, and repeated warnings by the local tribe that the River God, Nyaminyami had an unsettled score. World media attention focused on the new township at Kariba in the early 1960’s during Operation Noah when Rupert Fothergill and his team undertook the world’s biggest animal rescue attempt. An epic drama unfolded as wildlife was saved from the rising waters of the new Lake and largely relocated to Matusadona National Park and the surrounds of Lake Kariba became a fascinating turmoil of ecological change – parts of which now teem with an abundance of flora and fauna in a striking and diverse terrain. A guide book has described Kariba town as an “unconsolidated two level jumble” – topographically it’s very hilly, similar to parts of Matusadona and Kaburi and it doesn’t have a distinguishable centre – don’t expect to see a lot if you arrive without a plan or decide to give our offices a miss on the Kariba Heights!

The town is the ideal launching point into Chizarira, Matusadona, Lake Kariba, Mana Pools and the remote wilderness areas in the north and west of the country. The middle and lower Zambezi Valley is rich in wildlife, and with its harsh terrain and climate promises first class adventures and safaris. Many of the best attractions are remote and un-commercialised – whether you have a healthy spirit of adventure or a desire for intense “relax-mode” – you ought to look at the Zambezi Valley for: Tented, walking and canoeing safaris Lodges and bushcamps Houseboats, cruisers and sailing adventures “One day” safari options, walks, canoe trips, game drives and cruises Fishing safaris on Lake Kariba and the lower Zambezi River Access by air from Harare with AirZimbabwe or private charter. Kariba is a 4/5 hour drive from Harare, the Zimbabwean capital.

If you have your own vehicle, it’s possible to connect with Victoria Falls via the ferry (22 hours – pre-booking essential) or via Zambia (the road is safe and in “reasonable” repair – don’t consider with a hired vehicle); the “back” road via Binga/Magunge/Karoi is not recommended unless you’re fully equipped, and the trip via Bulawayo is tarred but tedious. If you plan your own excursion into Mana Pools, Matusadona or Chizarira then come fully self-sufficient. The climate is generally tropical with three reasonably distinguishable seasons – a hot rainy season from late November to March, a cool dry season from May to August and a very hot dry season from September to November. Annual rainfall ranges from 400mm (16 inches) in the Valley to about 700mm (28 inches) on the plateau. Winter temperatures rarely go below 13°C (55 degrees Fahrenheit), day time temperatures hover at about 40°C (104 degrees Fahrenheit) during the hot months. Ask an expert We've helped first-timers and seasoned travellers in Africa since 1995. We can help you take advantage of mainstream options.

Better still we'll show you how and where to step off well beaten paths for the more interesting journeys. Drop a note right here... Kariba Town - Wild Zambezi Kariba Town Kariba Town Zimbabwe The town of Kariba, built at the site of the hydro-electric dam across the Zambezi River, is a focus for tourism, and provides a starting point for access to the vast inland sea of Lake Kariba. The little town which developed haphazardly on the hills near the site of the massive hydro-electric dam constructed across the Zambezi River in the 1950s, became known as “Kariba”. The name 'Kariba' is thought to be a corruption of a local word 'Kariva' which means "little trap". It is believed when those who wished to construct the dam wall wanted to explain the nature of the project to the locals, they emphasised that they wanted to build a little water trap-Kariva. However, the complex pronunciation of the 'v' in Kariva saw the Western constructors produce a sound much like a 'b' hence the creation of the word Kariba.

Kariba is now a small and spread-out resort town which is the starting point for tourism activities centered on the lake of the same name. Access: Access is by air into the town's minor airport (from where transfers can be arranged) or by road via a scenic route through the Zambezi escarpment hills about 4-5 hours' drive from Harare. The distance by road from Lusaka (via either Chirundu or Siavonga) is less, but involves border formalities which can cause delays. It can, however, allow visitors the chance to cross the Zambezi River over the Chirundu Bridge or the awesomely impressive Kariba dam wall. Where to stay in Kariba town There are a number of small hotels, lodges, holiday cottages, self-catering facilities and campsites dotted among the hills, bays and shorelines of Kariba town from where views of the lake are stunning.

Many people visit Kariba briefly as a stopping off point prior to setting out from one of its four main harbours on boats across the lake either to stay in the safari and fishing camps on the southern shore mainland, in the Matusadona National Park or on the islands, or to spend a few tranquil days fishing, game-viewing, birding, sunbathing or simply relaxing on board a houseboat. Houseboating Kariba has lots of these “floating hotels” of various sizes, shapes and degrees of comfort. They can be hired either on a full-board or self-catering basis and are usually equipped with an efficient and hard-working crew who will do everything to provide you with a holiday of a lifetime. The most popular destination for houseboat holidays out of Kariba is the Matusadona National Park , about 30kms across the lake, where there are islands, tranquil bays and creeks teeming with wildlife against the magnificent backdrop of the Zambezi escarpment mountains. If you are lucky, you can see a variety of large African mammal species, including elephant, buffalo, lion and cheetah and a staggering variety of waterbirds.

What to see & do Points of interest include the dam wall itself (there is an observation point on the hill above it); The Heights, on a hill 600 m above the lake, with another look-out point, a collection of small shops and craft stalls, the Kariba Club (bar/restaurant/swimming pool) and the extraordinarily beautiful little Chapel of Santa Barbara , built in memory of workers who died during construction of the dam. Getting around without a car can be tricky because the town is so spread-out. But minibus tours can be arranged from Kariba's main hotels. Game-viewing tours in the nearby Kaburi Wilderness Area can be arranged via the hotels or through a travel agent, as can boat trips, sunset cruises and canoeing. Facilities There are food supermarkets with a reasonable range of basic goods in Nhamhunga and Mahombekombe, the two small commercial centres at opposite ends of Kariba town. Petrol and diesel are available from fuel stations on the main road through the town or from the various boat harbours widely spread out along the extensive shoreline at the base of the hills. These also supply ice and drinks.

It is wise to check availability beforehand, as the laid-back nature of the place can make the provision of visitor facilities a little haphazard! Wildlife The staggering thing about Kariba town is that it is a settlement in the middle of a wildlife corridor. Be prepared to give way to animals, including elephants, lumbering along the roads in the inhabited sections of the town at any time during the day or at night. Near the airport, several kilometres short of the town, the shorelines and river valleys of the Kuburi Wilderness are worth a visit. Check in at the National Parks office at Nyanyana beforehand. Fishing Fishing is excellent sport in Lake Kariba's waters. The magnificent tigerfish, endemic to the Zambezi River, is a thrilling catch for avid anglers, and the focus of an International Tigerfishing Tournament held in Kariba in October each year. Various other species including several types of bream make good eating. Bait is available from the boat harbours and some fishing tackle can be provided, but it is advisable to bring your own if possible. National Park entry and fishing permits are essential and can usually be obtained from your boat harbour at Kariba.

Be especially careful when fishing or walking near the shoreline, and never swim in the lake. It has a very large population of crocodiles. Culture, Legend and Crafts If you are interested in buying local crafts, you can find attractive African prints, crocheted garments, items of local jewellery, and wood and stone carvings at the Dam Wall Observation Point, at the “look-out” point on top of the hill known as The Heights and at various points along the road into the town. A famous feature of Kariba craftwork is the intricately-carved wooden walking stick originally designed by an enterprising Kariba artist/entrepreneur in the 1970s. The sticks, which can be found on sale at all the craft stalls are an interesting artistic blend of the ancient legend of Nyaminyami – River God (or Spirit) of the Zambezi and the modern story of the Zambezi’s Tonga people who were displaced by the building of the dam.

The sad reality is that when Kariba Dam was built, the huge body of water that flooded the land upstream of it displaced thousands of the Zambezi valley's original inhabitants, the Tonga, who were evacuated from their ancestral, riverside fishing grounds to a harsh new life in arid farmlands inland to the south of the new lake. In Tonga tradition, Nyaminyami (a mythical creature with the head of a serpent and the tail of a fish) was a benevolent Spirit, providing for his people in times of drought or flood by offering his flesh for them to eat. However, the building of the Kariba dam angered him and separated from his wife who became trapped downstream during its construction. He vowed to wreak havoc and destroy the wall one day. He had several attempts - two major floods during construction in the 1950s succeeded in breaching the coffer dam and setting back progress for many months. However, the Tonga believe that in the end his wrath was overcome and the wall has held back the waters every since. The legend of Nyaminyami inspires art, sculpture and craft work in the Kariba area and provides a livelihood for local people selling to the tourism industry.

A simple, but beautiful stone Nyaminyami sculpture, strategically positioned at the Kariba Dam Observation Platform has now become a well-known feature in all photographs of the dam taken from this point. What a fabulous site! Informative. Sincere. A great service to Zimbabwe! Congratulations! Sue Chenaux-Repond - Simply Africa, Switzerland/Zimbabwe We in South Africa want to congratulate your friendly and helpful people of Zimbabwe for what you have achieved in spite of all the handycaps you have experienced in the recent past. KEEP IT UP, IT MUST COME RIGHT WITH SUCH AN ATTITUDE!! Johan - South Africa Zimbabwe is as magnificent as ever... lush vegetation, magnificent wildlife and most of the safari areas and accommodation are still in great condition. The police were friendly, the shops are stocked with food, and fuel was readily available. Garth - Jenman Safaris WildZambezi.com is the best source of independent travel information on Mana Pools and the Zambezi River Valley. It covers everything you need to know about travelling to the area. Scott Ramsay - Leisure Wheels Magazine, South Africa I'm an ex-Zimbabwean living in Australia and wanting to return for a bush experience.

It's an absolute delight to access just one site and find out exactly what all the options are, with all their contact details as well. Well done to you - this site is now on my list of favourites!! Sheri - Australia Pipe Dreams: Can the Zambezi River supply the region's water needs? | Cultural Survival Cultural Survival Quarterly Magazine Pipe Dreams: Can the Zambezi River supply the region's water needs? A May 21, 1992, article in Johannesburg's The Star, "Zambezi Water Could Do the Trick," speculates that South Africa's industrial heartland will run out of water at some point in the next 12 to 30 years. Noting that much of South Africa is poorly endowed with water, the article reassures readers that "trapping into the virgin waters of the Zambezi River...could do the trick." Indeed, a May 14 editorial in the same paper goes so far so to state, "But there is new water: the Zambezi has enough for all of southern Africa's future needs." Readers would be well advised to ask two questions. Does South Africa have a serious water problem?

And does the Zamezi present a viable long-term solution to that problem? The answer to the first question is an unqualified yes: the water problem is characteristic of southern Africa as a whole. AS I shall explain, the answer to the second question is no. Furthermore, plans for providing water to southern Africa's urban-industrial and mining complexes frequently have been, and will continue to be, implemented at the expense of the area's indigenous people. IS THE WATER THERE? Rainfall from the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, which moves south of the equator, provides most of southern Africa's water. The main drainage system for all this water is the Zambezi River, and Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe all look to the Zambezi as their ultimate water source. The Zambezi is one of the great rivers of the world. Rising from sources in Angola and Zambia, it flows over 2,000 miles through eight countries before entering the Indian Ocean. Since the 1981-82 seasons, however, the Zambezi's flows have significantly fallen, suggesting return to its low-flow pattern prior to the 1946-47 season.

A March 1992 memo to the electricity subcommittee of the South African Development Community (SADC) on behalf of Zambia and Zimbabwe's joint Zambezi river Authority notes hat inflow into the Kariba reservoirs in the Middle Zambezi Valley over the past 10 years has averaged only 52 percent of that during the preceding 20 years, and that 1981-84 was the direst three-year period on record. 1990-93 may be even drier if this year's inflows continue the trend to the past two years. Contrary to the statement in the Star, the Zambezi's waters are hardly virgin." No international agreement covers the use of Zambezi waters. AS a result, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are utilizing water on a unilateral basis. Zimbabwe has been pumping water from the Batoka Gorge on the Zambezi to its coal-fired Hwage power plant since the mid-1980s.

Namibia is conducting feasibility studies for irrigating sugar cane, which demands a great deal of water, in the east Caprivi, while Zambia's Nkambala Sugar Estates utilize nearly 200 million cubic meters per year from a Zambezi tributary. Within the Kariba reservoir basin, a multinational agribusiness in Zambia is pumping water to irrigate several thousand acres of cotton and wheat. Below the Kariba Dam, a second Zambian agribusiness is expanding another major irrigation project that uses Zambezi flows, and small-scale dams along the Middle Zambezi Valley escarpment in Zambia are reducing runoff to the river. Indeed, if the Zambezi's low-flow trend continues, it won't be able to supply the countries through which it runs, let alone South Africa. Should global warming occur (current estimates predict that temperatures in southern Africa could rise up to 5 degrees centigrade during the next 50 years will further reduce flows. WATER SCARCITY The 1991-92 drought in southern Africa was the worst on record in the region, devastating food production and leading to substantial food imports.

At first, rains over much of the area were good and land preparation and sowing proceed, but in January 1992 the rains failed and maize crop - the grain staple of the region - withered and died. In Namibia, 80 percent of he crop was lost; in Zambia, nearly two-thirds. By mid- 1992, Africa Report was referring to the droughts as "a natural disaster of Biblical proportions." Maize needs were estimated at 11 million tons, 4.5 million of which were required by South Africa and one million by Zambia. (Because it extended over several years, the 1984-87 drought was also devastating within the region, for example, killing 25 percent of Botswana's cattle between 1982 and 1988.) While such droughts intensify the water problem, population increase and industrialization place increasing demands on water resources regardless of rainfall. In South Africa, the Vaal River supply area (which includes Johannesburg, Pretoria, and the country's maize belt) produces more than half of South Africa's gross domestic products.

According to the 1988 Report of the Committee on Water Demand in the Vaal River Supply Area Forecast to the Year 2025, "Further major importations will be needed" beyond the inter-basin transfer schemes currently at work. One such important will come from the multi-billion dollar Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), currently under construction. This is the largest water project yet to be undertaken in southern Africa. The Star reports that the initial estimates of some $2 billion of the project now exceed $5 billion. Should all phases be completed - cost of overruns might stall the project - LHWP will deliver about half of Lesotho's water supply of South Africa. According to existing forecasts, however, South Africa will need even more water between the years 2004 and 2020. Elsewhere in southern Africa, water shortages are also intensifying. The Botswana government has periodically had a curtail new connections to applicants in the regional headquarters of Maun, at the lower and end of Okavango Delta, and restrict supplies to existing users. The water situation in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second-largest city, has reached the crisis point.

Increasingly, governments and planners are looking to the Zambezi to solve the region's water problems. For example, studies are under way to import water from the Zambezi via two routes: the lower reaches of Botswana's Okavango River system and a 700-mile canal or pipeline running through eastern Botswana. Either would supply up to 760 million cubic meters per year to Botswana while supplying at least twice that amount to South Africa. Within Botswana, the government's 1991 National Water Master Plan concluded that the country would need more water from the Limpopop River, the Zambezi,and other northern border sources beyond the 2020-25 period. Wrote the plan's authors. "Botswana must maintain its interest in water rights on the Zambezi for its long-term supply security." (Meanwhile, in 1992 the Zimbabwe government endorsed a pipeline project out of the Zambezi that would deliver 60 to 95 million cubic meters per year to Bulawayo and environs.

IMPACTS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES These kinds of river-basin development projects tend to be in relatively isolated areas inhabited by rural people with low incomes. Historically, the Kariba Dam, which was built in the Middle Zambezi Valley in the late 1950s, has had the worst impact on local people. Upon completion, Kariba created what was then the world's largest artificial reservoir, with a storage capacity four times that of the reservoir behind the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. Fifty-five thousand African villagers, whose ancestors pioneered the cultivation of the Zambezi's fertile alluvial soils hundreds of years ago, were forced to leave their homes. Today, most are still "development refugees." Many live in less-productive, problem-prone areas, some of which have been so seriously degraded within the last generation that they resemble lands on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Kariba was built to provide hydroelectricity to the urban-industrial and mining sectors of what was then the Central African Federation. While the Lesotho Highlands Water Project will provide electricity for Lesotho, its major purpose is to major South African urban centers.

Undoubtedly, millions will benefit from the project, but it remains to be seen if the low-income mountain people whose arable lands and grazing will be flooded will be among the beneficiaries. While the intention of Kariba and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project was to benefit the urban and mining sectors, Botswana's Southern Okavango Integrated Water Development Project (SOIWDP) was supposed to benefit rural residents through increased food production, creation of employment opportunities, improved utilization of land and water resources, and higher living standards. Planned over a five-year period, SOIWDP was approved by Parliament in 1989. People in the project area, however, were skeptical that the project would actually be for their benefit as opposed to that of the regional town of Maun and the diamond mines at Orapa and Letlhakane that are a major sources of the government's foreign exchange. When a contractor began to mobilize equipment late in 1990 to construct the project (the first phase of which involved constructing a dam and dredging an Okavango channel to direct water into the future reservoir), the local people objected strongly.

In response, the government of Botswana suspended the project and asked the World Conservation Union (IUCN) to review it. Initially several members of the 13-person IUCN team were favorably disposed toward SOIWDP. As time went on however, more and more deficiencies were discovered, to the extent that in May 1992, the review team unanimously recommended that the project be canceled in favor of a lower coast but broad-based developed strategy that, on the one hand, would raise living standards in a fashion that would be enviornmentally, economically, and institutionally sustainable, and, on the other hand, would not require major engineering works. While the government of Botswana's response was to cancel SOIWDP, the response that it gave was local opposition to the project rather than the serious hydrological, environmental, and socioeconomic deficiencies that the IUCN team identified. A year later, none of these deficiencies have been accepted. In the meantime, a serious water shortage continues in the project area, so that the risk continues of SOIWDP's being implemented at some future date.

A DELICATE BALANCE As water shortages become more apparent in southern Africa, government officials and planners are increasingly looking toward the Zambezi for a solution. Should the Zambezi's current low flow regime continue, however, even the Zambezi's waters will be insufficient to meet the demands of the riparian states, let alone South Africa. If equitable distribution of existing water resources is to occur, and international treaty on the waters of the Zambezi River is required. Also needed is an approach to project planning that attempts to balance the requirements of balance the requirements of rural and urban users. Otherwise, low-income rural people will continue to be disadvantaged as a results of the implementation of these efforts. Article copyright Cultural Survival, Inc. CSQ Issue: Kariba Dam Safety Concerns | International Rivers Kariba Dam Safety Concerns Date: Friday, February 13, 2009 The 128-meter-high Kariba Dam is one of Africa’s biggest.

Operated by the Zambezi River Authority on behalf of Zimbabwe and Zambia, it has been a cause for concern on a number of safety issues, including from its earliest days when the filling of its reservoir caused earthquakes, to more recent times when rumors began to surface that the huge dam had structural problems and suffered from poor maintenance. Kariba has also worsened the region's floods in recent years. Earthquakes Kariba Dam The filling of what was then the world's largest reservoir was followed by considerable earthquake activity. The weight of Kariba’s reservoir translates into a mass of 180 billion metric tons. The reservoir is located in a tectonically active area, at the southern end of the African Rift Valley. Since its construction and filling in the early 1960s, Kariba has caused numerous earthquakes in the area, 20 of them larger than magnitude 5 on the Richter scale. Project documents did not discuss the possibility of reservoir-induced seismicity and the need to take this into account in the design of the dam, so the seismic activity’s affect on the dam’s safety is unknown.

Floods After the devastating March 2000 floods in Mozambique, the US Army Corps of Engineers was requested to do site visits at three Zambezi dams, including Kariba. The team was given full access to Cahora Bassa and Kafue dams, but not Kariba. “Though our mission was to inspect the dam, this was not possible due to the reluctance of the Authority to share operational data with the Team,” notes the Army Corps’ final report . “The inability to obtain operational data seriously hampers informed consideration of the dam and raises serious questions concerning the operation of Kariba.” Most recently, emergency releases from Kariba to prevent damage to the dam from rapidly rising waters led to flood alerts and evacuations for thousands of downstream dwellers Structural Issues Kariba, like many dams, has been affected by a condition that mars its concrete, known as “alkali-aggregate reaction.” While regional concern about the dam’s condition is widespread, little is known about the extent of the problem or its implications for dam safety.

The US Army Corps noted in its 2000 report, “the severity of this reaction was not disclosed.” The Corps report notes, “With the limited information provided, no conclusive assessment can be made of the hydrologic and hydraulic conditions, structural stability, or the overall dam safety aspects.” The World Bank reports that inspections of Kariba are carried out every five years by the engineering firm Coyne and Bellier, but these reports are not made public.

A Zambezi river expert who lives downstream of Kariba notes that concern about the dam’s safety arises especially during large floods, because “the dam walls vibrate when several or more sluice gates are open and pass large discharges.” He adds, “The dam operators adamantly deny that there are any problems, and it is certainly in their interest to make sure the walls are stable - so I hope they are doing so!” More information: Lake Kariba Fish Species Tips & Pictures page 2 Join Afrizim on Blogger Lake Kariba Fish Species Tips & Pictures- page 2 There are many other fish of interest to anglers on Lake kariba, in particular several species of bream, or kuiper Red Breasted Tilapia (Tilapia rendally) This pretty looking fish is commonly known as a 'pinkie' and was introduced into the Lake in the late 1950's. Seldom exceeding a kilo but a hard fighter often encountered in large numbers. In Lake Kariba the Nile bream (Oreochromis niloticus) is now also being taken by anglers.

Kariba Tilapia (Oreochromis mortimeri) Known in South Africa as the blue kurper this fish was mistakenly known as a Mozambique bream and were called 'mozzie's, until it was found that the Mozambique bream was only found in the Zambezi River below the lake and beyond the dam Chessa (Distichodus schenga) Nkupe (Distichodus mossambicus) The chessa and related nkupe are both rough-scaled, small-mouthed, broad-bodied fish renowned for their strength, speed and stamina. Both exceed six kilos and are usually caught on earthworm and small hooks, but will also take fish fillets Found only in the mainstream of larger rivers and even in Lake Kariba prefers more riverine habitats. Omnivorous, feeds on insects, snails, small fish, and aquatic plants. Breeds in summer, moving upstream to suitable sites Eastern Bottlenose ( Mormyrus longirostris) the Eastern Bottlenose is aptly named because of its elongated snout. It has a tiny mouth, so needs to be caught on small hooks with worms as bait.

This species is active mainly at night, and is often caught in the early evening, in fairly deep pools where there is little or no current. It is not a good fighter, and, once hooked, feels much like reeling a heavy sack of potatoes to the surface! Sluggish... is a word that comes to mind. Apart from the Electric Catfish, this is the only species in Zambezi waters that is capable of giving, under certain conditions, a mild electric shock. The electrical field created around the fish is probably a means of electro-orientation useful to a species which likes deep, often turbid water. Bottlenose breed during the rainy season, moving upstream in rivers after flood spates have receded. The migrations appear to occur at irregular intervals as this fish is not a powerful swimmer and would not be able to cope with very high water current. Despite its rather unattractive appearance, the Eastern Bottlenose is a popular eating fish in Central Africa. It is best split ventrically in half and low smoked over a fire. The Bottlenose will give you an electric shock if you hold both ends of the fish without drying it first Purple Labeo (Labeo congoro)

Question: On which river does the Kariba Dam stand?
Answer: Zambezi